10 Delicious Autumn Vegetables and Fruits You Must Include in Your Diet

We don’t want to get you down or anything, but autumn is coming our way faster than we can imagine. In the words of the great Jim Morrison summer’s almost gone and aside from the cold and the shorter days, we’ll have delicious autumn vegetables to keep our tummies and kitchens happy. Get ready for jams, soups, and oven baked dishes that will fill our houses with delicious smells. In a past article we gave you 10 smashing zucchini recipes for the summer and today it’s time we took a look at some fantastic delicious vegetables we simply must include in our diet this fall.

10. Leeks

Leeks are cousins of the common onion, but they have nothing of the simplicity of onions. They’re sophisticated and mild, they’re extremely palatable and versatile. Our favorite leek dish is leek and potato soup. Make sure you add some white wine when you’re simmering the leeks and some rich sour cream when the soup is almost done. What more could you want?

9. Pumpkins

Autumn tastes like pumpkins, doesn’t it? Without this amazing vegetable, autumn would not be the same. The pumpkin pie is God’s gift to mankind! There are so many pumpkin recipes out there that it can be hard to choose your favorite, but this autumn we suggest you find your perfect pumpkin dish and learn to cook it to perfection.

8. Quinces

Quinces are some of the most underestimated autumn fruits. Sure, they’re hard and tangy tasting, but if you know how to treat them, they’re amazing. If you want to eat them fresh, we suggest you put them in a kitchen towel and start smashing the walls with them to get them all nice and moist. They’re ready to eat after a couple of minutes. Should we even mention how amazing quince jam is? Let’s not do that.

7. Broccoli

Broccoli is the quintessential autumn food and fresh broccoli tastes amazing. The best way to get your kids to eat broccoli is to puree a head of cooked broccoli with a lug of olive oil, two cloves of garlic and some goat cheese. If they don’t like it, you can go ahead and enjoy it yourself. You deserve it!

6. Garlic

Garlic may be available all year round, but in the autumn it is at its most delicious. Try this amazing tip: get a big head of garlic and don’t peel it; get some tin foil, put the garlic in it, add some salt and olive oil and throw it in the oven for 30 minutes. The thing that will come out of there won’t be garlic, it will be garlic extraordinaire.

5. Grapes

We’re absolutely certain that if grapes didn’t exist today, the world would be a different place (probably worse). Out of all the delicious autumn vegetables and fruits, grapes are certainly the most beloved. Even if you’re not a drinker, you must admit that wine is a pretty awesome beverage!

4. Apples

Sure, apples can be found all year round, but they are the best during late fall. Have you ever eaten a freshly picked apple? If you have, make it your mission this fall to do so. See how amazing the taste of it is! Why not can some apple pie stuffing this fall so that all your pies this winter taste just like they do in the fall?

3. Eggplants

Eggplants are simply amazing. It’s one of those few vegetables out there that you cannot eat fresh, you must cook them. The best way to remove the bitterness from eggplants before adding them to your pot, is to cut them in slices, salt them and let them release their bitter water. Also, if you haven’t tried roasted eggplant salad, then you’ve lived in vain.

2. Figs

We, as human beings, should be grateful that figs chose to grace us with their presence. They are incredibly delicious, both raw and dried and they’re extremely versatile. Fig jam is a miracle and figs and cheese is the best combination since bread and butter. Did you know that fig leaves are also edible if cooked?

1. Fennel

We here over at Smashing Tops have a love affair with fennel that is bordering on unhealthy. Have you ever tried lightly toasting fennel seeds and then adding some fresh tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil and reducing it until you get a thick delicious sauce? It’s a great addition to pasta or rice. Yummy!

What other delicious autumn vegetables do you think we should add to our diet this fall? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. We would love to hear what you think about this subject!